Hand spreader for placing an adhesive on the back of carpets and rugs



Jan. 7, 1936. E. K. BAUER 2, HAND SPREADER FOR PLACING AN ADHESIVE ON- THE BACK OF CARPETS AND RUGS Filed Aug. 17, 1954 INVENTOR.

ATTO NEY Patented Jan. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE HAND SPREADER FOR PLACING AN ADHE- SIVE ON THE BACK OF CARPETS AND BUGS Ernest K. Bauer, Thompsonville, Conn., assignor to Bigelow-Sanford Carpet 00., Inc., Thompsonville, Oonn., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 1'7,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a hand spreader for placing and spreading an adhesive on the back of a-floor covering and more particularly carpets and rugs.

During recent years there has been an increased demand for carpets and rugs having an adhesive applied to the back thereof, and while such adhesive may be variously constituted it is now frequently formed as a rubber compound, pyroxylin or the like, and where the carpet or rug is of the pile fabric type one of the characteristics of the adhesive is to anchor or secure the pile forming threads to the foundation or backing fabric.

Where the carpet or article is formed of several strips, they are usually secured together by sewing the adjacent edges together. This, however, introduces the objection that each seam presents a ridge in the floor covering which is unsightly and subject to excessive wear.

' While the broader aspects of the present invention contemplates the spreading of the adhesive on the backing of the fabric, as above indicated, itmay also constitute the means for securing carpet or rug strips with their abutting edges in close relation without the formation of a sewed or other character of seam, so that the adhesive itself constitutes the joining element between the assembled carpet strips.

I One ofthe objects of the present invention is to provide the hand spreader for the adhesive which may be applied directly to the backing of I carpet and rug strips and extend over the two abutting edges of such strips to serve as the con- M necting medium between the two.

In effecting the objects of the present invention it is ordinarily desirable that the adhesive benot only spread evenly upon the back of the carpet or rug strips, but that it be forced into (I) the fabric to thereby act as a medium of holding the pile forming threads in place.

In accordance with the present invention the hand spreader consists of a reservoir or container for the adhesive having a valve. controlled open- My) ing at its lower part, below which is an angularly formed spreader so constructed that it not only will spread the adhesive that passes through the valve on to the back of the carpet or rug strips,

but will serve as a. pressure medium for forcing ,9 the adhesive into the backing fabric.

The invention and novel features thereof will best be made clear from the following description and accompanying drawing of one good practical form thereof.

In the drawing:

1934, Serial No. 740,273

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hand spreader provided with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the hand spreader at right angles to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the bearing portion of the valve and its connection with the reservoir on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the valve member detached and enlarged.

The reservoir or container I is provided with a top element 2 and a cover 3 and between the two there is a rubber sheet or gasket 4. Extending upwardly from the top portion of the spreader is an angular member 5 under which the end of the cover 3 may extend in operative position, and attached to the opposite end of the cover 3 is the lifting handle 6.

Pivotally mounted at I on lugs 8 attached to the top member is a locking device for the cover 3, comprising the shouldered member 9 which is adapted to take over a shoulder ID on the cover 3 and thereby lock the cover in its operative position. Y

Mounted on the reservoir or container at the side thereof is a handle I I for manipulating the spreader which is secured to the reservoir or container at its lower part by the extension I2, and at its upper part by somewhat similar but smaller extension 53, so that the handle itself is arranged at an angle to the vertical dimensions on the reservoir or container, with the result that when the spreader is moved over the back surface of a carpet or rug, such as indicated in Fig. 1, the tendency is not only to spread the material upon the back of the carpet or .rug, but exert a downward pressure thereon to force the adhesive into the body fabrics. Secured at each side of the reservoir or container 1 is a bearing M to receive the valve element [5 with permissive rotative movement.

. The valve member 15 has the end portions thereof formed as a cylinder 16 which constitutes the journals about which the valve member may be rotated, and between the journal portions the valve member is cut away, as illustrated at IT, so that when the portion I! is presented to the contents of the reservoir or container the adhesive may be permitted to pass the valve member, as indicated in Fig. and immediately in front of the spreader I8.

The opening from the reservoir or container I is preferably made of dimensions to permit the ready flow from the reservoir when the valve member I5 is rotated to the position indicated in Fig. 4.

From the construction thus far described it will be apparent that the valve member may be rotated either to open or close the exit IQ of the reservoir or container, and in View of the fact that the adhesive may at times become more or less cumulative on the valve and the exit, a few movements back and forth of the valve member IE will serve to clean the exit l9 and thereafter permit free flow of the adhesive. This, of course, by reason of the fact that the edge portions 20 of the valve member act as scrapers between the bearing portion N3 of the valve member.

As indicated more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 the valve member [5 is provided with a projecting arm 2| which is under the influence of a spring 22 normally acting to hold the valve member in its closed position with permissive movement, however, to open position.

The arm 2| which, as hereinbefore noted is secured to the valve member l5, has an oppositely projecting arm or lug 23 and such features may be duplicated at each side of reservoir or container. Connected to the lug or projection 23 at each side of the reservoir or container is a link member 24, the two side members 01. which are connected by the spanning element 25.

The handle ll, hereinbefore referred to, is slotted longitudinally and in the slot there is pivoted a member 26, the pivot whereof is mounted at 21 near the lower end portion of the handle. The top support 13 of the handle I I is slotted for the passage of the member 25 which has a finger operating portion 28 which is engaged by the upper spanning portion 25 of the valve operating element, the construction being such that the spring 22 normally holds the valve closed or restrains its rotation to open position and when the adhesive is to be applied to the back of the woven fabric, the operative simply manipulates the portion 28 of the member 26, thereby opening the valve to the position indicated in Fig. 4 to permit the adhesive to be applied.

Secured to the lower portion of the reservoir or container below the exit opening l9 thereof is a spreader l8 more clearly indicated in Fig. 4, which has a downwardly extending inclined portion terminating in a bend 29 with the result that the adhesive is permitted to flow from the reservoir or container, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. It will accumulate to some extent along the inclined surface 30 and upon movement of the spreader under manipulation such adhesive will be not only spread upon but forced into the interstices of the backing fabric.

As shown in Fig. 1, the adhesive is to be applied to the backing fabrics of two strips a, b having their adjacent edges in abutting relation, as indicated by the line at y. The fabric strips are shown as of the pile fabric type, such as used in carpets and rugs, and owing to the direction of force applied to the spreader 18 the adhesive will be forced into the interstices of the backing fabric to hold the pile forming threads in place and will be spread over the joining or abutting edges of the two fabrics to act as a medium for connecting the strips without the use of a sewed seam, as indicated in line a: 3

What is claimed is:-

1. In a spreader for applying an adhesive over the abutting edges of two carpet strips to unite the strips without a visible seam, the combination of a reservoir or container for the adhesive having an outlet, a rotary valve member for controlling the flow of. the adhesive through the outlet and comprising cylindrical end bearings and an elongated cut away portion between the cylindrical end bearings, an arm secured at each end of the rotary valve member, a spring normallyacting to rotate the valve member into closed position, a spreader disposed below the reservoir outlet and having a backwardly inclined surface terminating at its lower edge in a spreading bend for forcing the adhesive into the back of the woven strips and manually operated link members connected to the arms at opposite ends of the rotary valve member.

2. In a spreader for applying an adhesive over the abutting edges of two carpet strips to unite the strips without a visible scam, the combination of a reservoir or container for the adhesive having an outlet, a rotary valve member for controlling the flow of the adhesive through the outlet and comprising cylindrical end bearings and an elongated cut away portion between the cylindrical end bearings, an arm secured at each end of the rotary valve member, a spring normally acting to rotate the valve member into closed position, a spreader disposed below the reservoir outlet and having a backwardly inclined surface terminating at its lower edge in a spreader bent for forcing the adhesive accumulated in front of the bend across the abutting edges 01' the two carpet strips and into the back of each, and a handle secured to the reservoir or container opposite to the reservoir outlet and having a trigger connected to the rotary valve at each end thereof.

3. In a spreader for applying an adhesive over the abutting edges of two carpet strips to unite the strips without a visible seam, the combination of a reservoir or container for the adhesive having an outlet, a rotary valve member for controlling the fiow of the adhesive through the outlet and comprising cylindrical end bearings and an elongated cut away portion between the cylindrical end bearings, an arm secured at each end of the rotary valve member, a spring normally acting to rotate the valve member into closed position, a spreader disposed below the reservoir outlet and having a backwardly inclined surface terminating at its lower edge in a spreader bend for forcing the adhesive across the abutting edges of the two assembled carpet strips and into the back of each, a handle secured to the reservoir or container opposite the reservoir outlet and provided with a slot extending longitudinally of the handle, a trigger housed within the handle, and two links connected to the trigger and operatively joined, one at each end of the rotary valve member.'

ERNEST K. BAUER. 

